


Standing Ovation

by romanticalgirl



Series: On Broadway [2]
Category: Actor RPF, American (US) Actor RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF
Genre: First Time, Hand Jobs, Kissing, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 06:53:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15334308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/pseuds/romanticalgirl
Summary: "Lobby Hero" ends its run and Sebastian comes by to congratulate Chris. And say goodbye. And Chris has, as usual, no idea what to do.





	Standing Ovation

**Author's Note:**

> We shall pretend that Sebastian Stan knew when Lobby Hero's run finished rather than having no clue and telling people to go see it after it had already ended. For REASONS

Chris is packing up the last of his stuff, wondering how he managed to accumulate as much as he has. He hasn’t taken anything from fans, sticking to just signing things, so he knows it’s not from that. Apparently life kept happening to him while he was busy.

He sets another bag by the door and smiles as Dodger drops his head on the new bag, looking up at Chris with sad eyes. “Don’t worry, buddy. I’m not leaving you. Where I go, you go.” It doesn’t change Dodger’s expression at all, so Chris squats down and scratches between his ears. Dodger’s tail thumps happily, but he still looks like he doesn’t trust Chris as far as he can throw him. “Worrywart.”

He startles at the knock on the door; his parents aren’t due to pick him up with the borrowed van, because “Christopher, you barely have enough to fill the trunk of my car, you’re not having a company move you,” until that evening. He opens the door and sort of stares. 

“I brought pizza.”

Sebastian walks past Chris and Chris turns to watch him. “You’re here.”

“Yep.”

“Why are you here?”

“Saw the closing show. Cleverly deduced that you would be leaving town for some new and exciting project or something wild and crazy like downtime or a trip to Disneyland. Thought I’d come say hi and goodbye. Also pizza.”

“You were at the show?”

“Yeah. Wanted to see how it changed, if at all. Got better, got worse.” He shrugs and puts the pizza on the kitchen island and kneels down to pet Dodger. “Hey, buddy. How’s the old man treating you? You let me know if you’re not getting the love you need. I’ll be there.”

“He’s not a timeshare.”

Sebastian grins at him. “Shut the door and get in here, dipshit. Pizza’s getting cold.”

Chris does as he’s told, frowning as he walks back to the kitchen. Sebastian stands up and washes his hands, then opens one of the boxes. The smell intensifies, and Chris takes a deep breath. “Let me guess, one of your secret New York haunts?”

“I wouldn’t treat you to anything less.” He picks up a slice and folds it, taking a bite. When he pulls it away, his lips are shiny with grease. “Oh god. That’s better than sex.”

“Pretty sure that means you’re doing sex wrong.” Chris takes a bite of his own pizza, ignoring Sebastian’s look of disgust when Chris refuses to eat it in proper New York style. Sebastian waits and Chris shrugs once he’s finished chewing. “It’s good. But I’ve had much better sex.”

“Heathen.” Sebastian takes another bite and wipes the grease away with the back of his hand. “This is the best pizza you’ve ever tasted. Don’t lie.”

“I said it was good.” Chris licks his lips. “I mean, I wouldn’t kick it out of bed, but seriously, if you think this is better than sex, you obviously need to get laid.”

“Aha! That’s you admitting you’ve got something going, isn’t it? Using that Evans charm to seduce unsuspecting women.”

“The women I’ve seen who aren’t involved in the production are either fans asking for autographs or definitely not unsuspecting. Besides, I’ve been too busy. I barely have enough time to spend with Dodger, much less someone else.”

“You’re a disgrace to all dudebros out there, Chris. You really are. They’re going to revoke your membership.”

“I’ll do my best to survive getting kicked out of the club.” He leans back against the cabinet and finishes his slice of pizza, grabbing a napkin from the huge stack Sebastian had brought. “So you saw the show. That doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“You’re leaving my beautiful city. Couldn’t let you go without saying goodbye.”

“In other words, you got a weekend off from hawking all of your movies, came home to sleep in your own bed, and thought that you’d just bother me.”

“Something like that, yeah.” He wipes his own hands, then boosts himself up on the counter. “Also, I know you and I know that you’re probably freaking out a little, and I thought I’d come by and see if you wanted to talk.”

“I’m not a basketcase, you know. No matter what you and Mackie think.” Chris shrugs and grabs another slice of pizza. “Or what I may have led you to believe.”

“Or, and this is crazy, I know. It’s possible that you’re my friend, I haven’t seen you in a while, you know you want the crazy press tour stories, and I felt like hanging out.” Sebastian raises an eyebrow, no doubt daring Chris to say something. When he remains silent, Sebastian smirks. “That’s what I thought.”

“You didn’t have to.” 

Sebastian supports himself on the counter with his hands, giving himself enough leverage to swing out slightly and kick Chris. “Shut up, asshole.”

“Ow.”

“I know for a fact that you’ve been hurt worse than that and laughed it off, so don’t even start. Give me more pizza.”

“Get off your ass and get your own.”

“I’m a _guest_.”

“Uninvited.”

“Mean.” 

Chris grabs another slice of pizza and Sebastian smiles until Chris takes a bite out of it. He laughs at Sebastian’s look of pure betrayal, trying to keep the bite in his mouth. Setting his pizza down on the counter, he grabs another slice and gives it to Sebastian. “Happy now?”

“Better. You’re the meanest best friend ever.”

“Ha. Chase Crawford is your best friend. Don’t even lie.”

Sebastan talks around chewing. “Best friend is not a hierarchy.” 

“You’re disgusting.”

“You love me.” He deliberately shows Chris his half-chewed food. “I make your heart go pitter-pat.”

Chris rolls his eyes, but he can feel the blush start to heat up his cheeks. Sebastian just smiles and lets it drop, obviously cutting Chris some slack. They just eat for a little while, Chris glaring at Sebastian every time he “accidentally” drops a piece of pepperoni or crust in Dodger’s direction. “You’re cleaning up if he vomits.”

“He’s not going to vomit. He loves me.” Sebastian blows kisses at Dodger. “Don’t you baby? Don’t you?”

Dodger barks and then throws up at Sebastian’s feet. Chris smirks. He’d give Dodger a treat for that, but now might not be the best time. “What were you saying?”

“Shut up and give me the paper towels.” Sebastian is obviously trying to sound put out, but it doesn’t work so well around his smile.

**

“So.” Sebastian falls down onto the bed, bouncing on the mattress, knocking Chris’s duffle bag onto the floor and spilling out what had been a neatly folded stack of t-shirts. “What’s been going on?”

“Play. More play. Sleep. Hanging out with Dodger.”

“See the movie yet?”

“Yeah. How’d the premiere go? Did everyone freak out?”

“We mocked each others’ emotional reactions incessantly. And made Winston do the chant during the after-party.” Sebastian kicks out a leg and taps Chris on the hip. “We missed you.”

“Missed you guys too. Watched the livestream though. Everybody looked good.”

“You mean I looked gorgeous.”

“Yeah. That too.” 

“Watched you and Scott on Meyers. You two are scary.”

Chris shrugs. “Good friends as well as brothers.”

“And far too open as a family as a whole.” He shifts and settles on his back, hands under his head. “Did you seriously get broken up with on prom night?”

“I have been broken up with in a variety of situations. Sort of a hobby of mine.” Chris puts more t-shirts in the bag. “You know, you could help rather than just flop around.”

“Why would I do that?” Sebastian kicks the duffel bag off again and grabs Chris’s hand, pulling him down on the bed. “Relax. Your mom will be furious if you get everything done before she gets here.”

“Yeah, well, open as a family or not, I’d rather not have my mom pack my underwear.” He tries to pull away, but Sebastian’s holding his wrist tight. Chris rolls his eyes, trying not to swallow hard. “C’mon, Seb. I have shit to do.”

“I wanted to show you around, you know. Hang out.”

“I would have been too busy.” Sebastian turns on his side so they’re looking at each other. He hasn’t let go of Chris’s wrist, and his thumb starts rubbing over Chris’s pulse. His heart’s beating too fast, pulse jumping. He wonders what Sebastian thinks as he feels it. Wonders if he’s that obvious. “You’re going to have to get used to it, you know. You’re in the big leagues now.”

“Is it gonna be a year before I see you again? One last press tour?”

“Why would you be there? You’re dead.” Chris smiles, but his chest tightens. He knows the fear that threatens -- that this is it for him and Mackie and Seb -- is baseless. They’re friends. Not just costars. “Besides, I have a Super Bowl party every year. You’ve got a standing invitation.”

“I’m serious.”

“C’mon, Seb. You’re acting like me. We’re friends, remember. I mean, you’re the one who keeps telling me that every time you come over.”

“I know. I just forget how much I miss you.”

“You don’t have time to miss me. You’re busy as fuck.” Chris rolls his eyes. He needs to free himself from Sebastian’s grip, because it’s too much and the thoughts he locks away are pounding at the door. He needs this to turn ridiculous. A slap fight, a tickle fight. Something to break the tension that’s coiling in his muscles before he does something stupid. “You deserve it too.”

“Don’t you dare spiral.” Chris breathes shakily as Sebastian releases his wrist, almost choking on his inhale when Sebastian’s hand cups Chris’s jaw. “You’re an amazing actor. We’re different. That doesn’t mean bad or good, and if you kick yourself using me as a reason, I’m _really_ going to kick your ass.”

“Me telling you that you deserve success equals me being down on myself?”

“How long have I known you?”

Chris lets himself lean into Sebastian’s hand for a moment before sitting up. “I’m going to pack my underwear.”

Sebastian grabs Chris’s hand and jerks him back down onto the bed. “It wasn’t the same without you.”

“It’s not like they would have paired us up. You were going to be with Winston and Mackie no matter what.”

“We still would have been hanging out.”

Chris frowns and tilts his head. “What’s going on, Seb? We don’t film together all that often as it is, and we still manage to hang out.”

“Walking away from Marvel. You’re not going to walk away from all of this, us.” Sebastian won’t meet his eyes. “Are you?”

“You guys are my friends. My family. I’m not going anywhere. You know me better than that.” He reaches out and catches Sebastian’s chin, tilting it up so he has to look Chris in the eye. “You know me better than that.”

“It just feels like a fucking ending, and I don’t like it.”

“Hey. Hey. Nothing’s ending.” Without an ounce of self-preservation, Chris leans in and rests his forehead against Sebastian’s. “Don’t be an idiot.”

Sebastian’s head shifts slightly, and Chris can feel Sebastian’s breath on his lips. “Comes natural.”

“Bullshit.” It’s supposed to come out firm, but instead it’s a whisper. Sebastian makes a noise, probably of disagreement, but something about it makes Chris’s blood burn and he jerks away, rolling off the bed and well out of Sebastian’s reach. “Go get us some beers.”

“How pissed would your parents be if they showed up and we were baked?”

“I think they’d be disappointed if we weren’t.”

“Put your true talent to work, Christopher. Pizza, beer, and a blunt. Show a girl a good time.”

**

“Okay. Okay.” Sebastian closes his eyes, scrunching his face up. Chris snorts a laugh and Sebastian coughs out his smoke. “Asshole.”

“I’m sorry. You looked constipated.” Dodger has his head back, trying to bite the smoke, looking disappointed when it keeps disappearing and he still comes up empty. He turns his head and looks at Chris, obviously betrayed. “What do you think dogs would be like if they were high?”

“Dude. _I_ am not high enough for that question. C’mon.” He waggles his fingers for the joint, but Chris ignores him and puts it to his own lips, inhaling deeply. He closes his eyes and smiles, nothing like Sebastian’s attempt at making himself get higher through sheer will. 

“Gimme.” Sebastian reaches for the joint, but Chris opens his eyes and shakes his head, holding it just out of reach. “Such a dick.” 

Chris nods and he’s about to exhale when Sebastian growls and grabs him by the neck, pulling Chris in and fitting their mouths together. Chris chokes and tries to breathe and Sebastian inhales, shotgunning the smoke. He holds Chris there as he holds in the smoke, then he exhales against Chris’s mouth.

Chris starts to say something when everything shifts and he’s jerking away. “Ow. Fuck. Ow.” He smacks at his thigh, knocking the joint he’d dropped on his jeans onto the floor. “Fuck.” 

“Ha. Next time give it to me when I ask.” Sebastian leans down and grabs the joint, taking another hit. He watches Chris through narrowed eyes and Chris sits back down. There’s a hole in his jeans and a light red mark on his thigh. Chris rubs his finger over the denim. “You okay?”

“Yeah. More surprised than anything.” He’s not sure if he’s talking about Sebastian’s mouth on his or the joint falling on him. Not sure which Sebastian’s talking about. “I wasn’t…” 

Sebastian reaches out and touches the pale skin where Chris’s mustache was until this morning. Chris can’t talk, can barely swallow. Sebastian lifts the joint to his mouth with the other hand, taking a long hit. His eyes water as he holds the smoke. He doesn’t look away from Chris, even as he leans in and presses his mouth to Chris’s.

Chris gasps softly, and then smoke fills his senses, snaking into his mouth along with Sebastian’s tongue. It’s not a kiss so much as just Sebastian’s tongue touching Chris’s, flicking against his soft palate, tracing the bottom of Chris’s top teeth. Chris is afraid to move, wondering how potent the pot is that he’s hallucinating this. Because he has to be hallucinating this.

“This okay?” Sebastian asks quietly against his mouth. He sounds like the same person Chris met on their first read together. He sounds like Sebastian -- soft and shy and like he does when Chris lets himself imagine this. “Chris?”

“Yeah.” He nods, careful not to put any distance between them. “Yeah. It’s okay.”

The next exhale tastes more like relief than pot and it leads into a kiss. Their lips brush and press, then pull away. Chris blinks and stares at Sebastian for a long moment while Sebastian pinches off the joint and sets it on the coffee table. Reaching out, Chris runs his fingers along Sebastian’s spine. It’s a friendly gesture, one he’s done a thousand times, but Sebastian’s reaction is new.

He turns and shifts, pushing Chris back against the sofa and straddling his thighs. His hands settle on Chris’s jaw, fingers settling behind his ears and scratching lightly at the short hair there. Chris hums softly and then they’re kissing, warm and slow and _real_.

In the back of his mind, Chris thinks that this should be awkward, that it shouldn’t be this easy. But it’s like second nature the way their mouths move together, the way their tongues slip in and out of each other’s mouths. Pulling back slightly, Sebastian looks down at Chris and smiles, then flicks the tip of his tongue against Chris’s lip. “Hi.”

Chris bites his lower lip and manages a smile. “Hi.”

“I’m gonna kiss you again.”

“Yeah. Please.”

Chris tilts his head, angling up, mouth finding Sebastian’s. Chris has kissed before, been kissed before, but he and Sebastian seem to fit. Nothing out of place, no noses bumping, no teeth clacking. It’s slow and easy, languorous. Sebastian holds Chris’s head and Chris slides his hands up and down Sebastian's sides in long strokes, chest to hip.

Sebastian groans softly, back arching so his chest presses against Chris’s. Chris sucks in a breath -- his or Sebastian’s, he’s not sure -- and lets his hands move to the small of Sebastian’s back, holding them together. He gathers Sebastian’s shirt in one hand, tugging it free of his jeans so he can slide his palm along Sebastian's spine.The familiar gesture is shockingly different without fabric between them.

Chris bites Sebastian's lower lip and sucks it into his mouth before relinquishing it and kissing him again. Sebastian rolls his hips, pressing even closer, the hard bulge in his jeans glancing off the matching one in Chris’s. Sebastian breaks the kiss and exhales shakily before bending his head, mouth moving to Chris’s throat. 

Chris lets out a soft gasp and tilts his head back, both of his hands under Sebastian’s shirt now, pushing it up to his shoulder blades. Sebastian pulls back enough to reach behind and grab his collar, tugging his shirt completely off and tossing it aside.

“Oh fuck,” Chris moans, head falling back again, throat exposed to Sebastian’s mouth. Chris moves his hands back to Sebastian’s sides, thumbs rubbing over his abs. After a moment he brings his palms around instead, settling them on Sebastian’s stomach then sliding them up. It puts distance between them, just a little but too much, and Sebastian huffs against the wet skin of Chris’s neck, the sound turning into something else entirely when Chris swipes his thumbs over both of Sebastian’s nipples.

Sebastian whines and _bites_ , and Chris’s cock jerks hard. It’s like something out of a pseudo-porn movie Chris watched when he was a kid, Sebastian a vampire and Chris his unsuspecting but oh-so-willing prey. Sebastian suckles his skin and Chris is going to have a mark -- a visible one -- and he can’t be bothered to care. He rubs his thumbs over Sebastian’s nipples again and again and again until Sebastian breaks the seal of his mouth and gasps instead, body grinding down against Chris’s. 

He’s breathing hard, breath fanning over Chris’s neck, in the hollow behind Chris’s ear. Chris brings his finger to bear and pinches the nipples lightly and then harder, and Sebastian whines like he’s in pain, the thrust of his hips showing he’s the exact opposite. 

Chris turns his head and finds Sebastian’s mouth, a kiss as rough as the hard pinch he gives Sebastian’s nipples. Sebastian starts tugging at Chris’s shirt, pulling it up, breaking the kiss to get it off. Chris reluctantly raises his hands,but as soon as Sebastian has his shirt off, his fingers are back on Sebastian’s red, hard nipples. Sebastian is close again, his mouth moving down to Chris’s neck then lower, biting his collarbone and then running his tongue over Chris’s tattoo.

There’s no reason why that would be an erogenous zone, no reason why Sebastian’s mouth and tongue and breath along the words should spark something inside Chris, but it does and he moans, his hands dropping to Sebastian’s hips so he can pull him closer, fingers splaying over Sebastian’s thighs. Sebastian rolls his hips again and, with a low whimper, he pulls away from  
Chris.

His pupils are dilated, a hint of a grey-blue storm circling them. Chris can only imagine he looks the same, down to the flushed cheeks and slick, wrecked lips. He has ever intention of staring at Sebastian until he goes blind, like staring into the sun, but then he feels the back of Sebastian’s hands on his stomach, looks down and watches as Sebastian pops the button and pulls down the zipper of his pants.

Chris grabs the waistband of Sebastian’s jeans and tugs down. He slides them over Sebastian’s ass and to his thighs, effectively trapping him as Chris trails his fingers across the cut of Sebastian’s hips, down to the black waistband of his fucking Hugo Boss underwear, to the covered curve of his cock. Sebastian’s head falls back as Chris rubs him, hand sliding up and down. The arch of Sebastian's body is too much to ignore, so Chris bends his head forward and licks one of Sebastian’s nipples before taking it into his mouth.

“Oh fuck. Oh fuck.” Sebastian’s back curves more, like he wants Chris to take more of him. Chris sucks around the hard flesh, his hand moving a little faster, pressure a little stronger. “Fuck. Get them _off_.”

Chris almost obliges, tugging the waistband down so it’s just underneath Sebastian's cock. Sebastian gasps at the restriction, and after a breath, Chris looks down. He swallows hard then runs the tips of two fingers over the tip of Sebastian’s cock, down the slick surface to the foreskin just above the ridge of it. 

Sebastian sucks in a breath and leans in, head against Chris’s as they both watch Chris touch him, fingers light and careful. He rubs the slit, traces the ring of his foreskin, pushes it down slightly, slips his pinkie beneath it. Sebastian hisses at Chris’s touch, and a quick flick of his glance upward at Sebastian makes him relax slightly. Sebastian’s panting open-mouthed and desperate.

“Okay?” Chris whispers, unsure. 

Sebastian nods quickly, his head still against Chris’s. His voice is rough. “Yeah.”

Chris licks his lips and brings his other hand to wrap around Sebastian’s shaft, stroking downard, pulling the foreskin back completely. He continues to trace the skin, shiny and smooth, pulled taut by Chris’s hand. “How does it feel?”

“Y-your hand?” Sebastian’s voice breaks and it’s almost a laugh.

“Know how my hand feels. How’s it feel on you?” He licks his lips again. “With… With a foreskin?”

“Don’t know. Always had one.” Sebastian swallows audibly. “Can’t compare. You feel good. Fuck. You feel amazing.”

Chris slides his pointer finger along the slit again, then raises it up to his mouth, his tongue flickering out to taste Sebastian’s pre-come. Sebastian’s whole body jerks and he lets out a low whine when Chris sucks it into his mouth. 

“Fuck, Chris.” He says Chris’s name like a prayer, and Chris pulls back slightly to look at him. Sebastian’s face is flushed darker than Chris has ever seen it, the blush running down his throat and chest. Sebastian catches Chris’s head between his hands and leans in, kissing Chris hard and hungry. The taste of Sebastian laid over the slight bitterness of his come makes Chris moan, his hand tightening on Sebastian’s cock stroking him, foreskin moving under his hand. “O, Doamne.”

“Hope that’s good,” Chris whispers, kissing Sebastian again, stroking him in earnest. 

Sebastian breaks the kiss again and puts his head on Chris’s shoulder, turning his head to breathe against his throat. Moist heat makes Chris shiver and the hand not on Sebastian’s cock is still at the small of his back, slipping against the slick skin. Sebastian’s breathing is erratic, huffing and shallow. Chris moves his hand, raking his nails up Sebastian’s back, glancing over Sebastian’s shoulder to see the path of them in the sweat.

Sebastian goes completely still until his cock jerks in Chris’s hand, heat coating Chris’s fingers and splashing against his skin. Sebastian starts shaking and Chris starts rubbing his palm up and down the ridge of Sebastian's spine, humming softly as the trembling slows, then stops. Sebastian exhales loudly, then pulls back, blinking slowly as he looks at Chris. Chris can’t help staring. Sebastian looks wrecked, and all Chris can think of is what he might look like after he’d been fucked, and he swallows hard.

Sebastian slides off Chris’s lap and tugs his jeans up, leaving them undone. He grabs Chris’s knees and starts to sink down when a sharp, loud buzz rents the air and Dodger starts barking. Chris glances at his watch and then drops his head back. 

“Your parents?” Sebastian asks.

Chris licks his lips and nods, swallowing against a dry throat before grabbing his shirt and wiping his stomach clean. Sebastian steps back so Chris can stand, and Chris’s legs wobble slightly as he adjusts himself and makes his way to the door. He presses the buzzer. “Yeah?”

“Mr. Evans, your parents are here.”

“Thanks. Could you send them up?” He takes his finger off the button and drops his head to the door. He turns his head and looks over at Sebastian who’s already cleaned up and put back together. “How come you get in without getting buzzed up?”

“I have my ways.” He nods toward Chris’s bedroom and tosses Chris’s soiled shirt at him. “Go get dressed.”

Chris nods and heads to the bedroom, stopping when Sebastian grabs his wrist. He leans in and kisses Chris, quick and light. “I’ll distract them with cold pizza and beer. Light the joint to explain the flush.”

Chris glances at Sebastian’s throat and realizes his skin is still tinged red, so he can only imagine how his own looks. He nods and then slips out of Sebastian’s grip, heading into the bedroom. He shoves his dirty shirt into the duffel and grabs a clean one. He goes into the bathroom and stares at himself in the mirror.

He just had sex with Sebastian.

That is probably going to come back and bite him in the ass in the worst way possible. He’d made some stupid decisions while he’s been stoned, but he’s pretty sure this one might be the worst. He’s had friendships wrecked by less.

Turning the water to cold, he cups some in his hands and rubs his face, letting it drip off his chin as he stares at himself in the mirror again. He still looks turned on. He still _is_ turned on. He adjusts himself again, glad he’s wearing jeans instead of his usual track pants. Wishing he was wearing track pants instead of jeans that are still slightly too tight over his cock. 

“Sebastian!” Chris’s mom’s voice fills the room. He can practically hear Sebastian’s hard exhale during what is no doubt one of his mom’s bone-crushing hugs she reserves for all of the people in Chris’s life she actually trusts. “Chris didn’t tell us you were here in town.”

“Well, I do sort of live here, Mrs. Evans.”

“Lisa. I’ve told you. It’s Lisa.”

“Right. Mrs. Evans. That’s what I said.”

She laughs and Chris hears the rumble of his dad’s voice. Right. His parents. That’s one way to get rid of his erection. He runs his damp fingers through his hair and takes in a deep breath, blowing it out, telling his mind to shut up. Blowbacks -- _ha_ \-- aftershocks, and repercussions can come later along with embarrassment, guilt, and fear. Right now he has to be normal for his family. 

He’s doomed.

“Christopher! Quit being rude.”

“I’m not, ma. I’m finishing up my packing. Besides, Seb’s a better host than I am.”

“You don’t host your parents.” Her voice gets louder as she gets closer, and Chris hurries to shove the last of his underwear in with his dirty shirt. She comes over and hugs him, and goes up on her toes just as he bends down slightly so she can kiss his cheek. “Why didn’t you text us that Sebastian was going to be here?”

“He just showed up with pizza and started drinking my beer. If I’d have known he was coming, I would have locked the door and barricaded myself in the bedroom.”

She smacks his arm and grabs his hand, dragging him out into the living room. Dodger is racing around Chris’s dad’s feet as his dad keeps pretending he’s going to take Dodger’s lion. Sebastian is laughing and Chris has to control himself so he doesn’t just stop and stare.

Chris has wished multiple times that he could read Sebastian. He wishes it again now even as he’s so glad he can’t see whatever he might be thinking. 

“Hey, how about I take Dodger for a walk while you guys haul stuff down?” Sebastian grins as Dodger stops dead at the word “walk.”

“You’ll do anything to get out of helping, won’t you?” Chris asks with a smile, though he’s pretty sure it’s a poor excuse for one.

“Dog wrangling is hard work. Besides, it’s not like you’re moving furniture.” He gives a quick glance at the couch and then looks back at Chris. “A few duffel bags and dried goods.”

“A bike and his weight set,” his mom adds. 

“Five bags of books.” His dad weighs in with a smirk on his face.

“I’ll bring back more beer, how about that?” Sebastian walks over to where Dodger’s leash is hanging, which sends Dodger into a frenzy.

“And when the internet sees you walking my dog?”

“We’re friends.”

“Without me?”

“Let ‘em speculate.” Sebastian grins. “They will anyway.”

**

Chris knows it’s coming, and his nerves get twisted worse and worse with every passing second, with every trip to the car. His dad takes the last load down and Chris grabs the last two beers out of the refrigerator and hands one to his mom. He knows his dad won’t drink because he’s driving, so Chris twists off the top of the other one and takes a long drink.

“Oh, honey.” His mom’s voice is quiet, the kind of worried and regretful and knowing quiet that causes Chris to close his eyes and shake his head.

“Don’t, okay?”

“Tell me you didn’t.”

“Mom.”

“I just don’t want to see you…”

“ _Mom_.” Chris sets his bottle on the counter hard. “Don’t.”

She purses her lips, but nods. Chris nods as well. “You want me to make one last sweep of the place?”

“I can do it.”

“Let me. I know all the places you forget to look.” She sets her beer down and heads into the bedroom and adjoined bathroom. Chris slumps back against the stove and sighs, rubbing his eyes with his fists. He hears a distant jingle of Dodger’s tags and straightens up, grabbing his beer and taking another swallow.

“Hey.” Sebastian comes back in and looks around. “Where’re your folks?”

“Dad’s moving stuff around in the van and Mom’s in the bathroom looking for stray Q-tips or something.”

“Let them take your stuff home,” Sebastian says quietly. “I'll give you and Dodger a ride.”

“The paps are probably already having a field day. No need to add fuel to the fire.”

“Yeah, well, I think there _is_ a need for us to talk.” His voice is still pitched low and he leans in across the counter, too close even though there are still feet between them. “C’mon, Evans. Work with me here.”

“They’ll ask questions.”

Sebastian shakes his head. “No they won’t.”

Chris sighs and nods. “No. They won’t.”

Sebastian walks around the counter into the kitchen and stands in front of Chris. It feels like there isn’t enough air in the room, and Chris can’t catch his breath. “We need to talk. Now. Not later.”

It takes a long time, maybe a century for Chris to nod. Sebastian nods as well and then moves away, grabbing one of the beers from the six-pack Chris doesn’t remember him setting on the counter. 

“How many loose socks did you find, Mrs. Evans?”

“Lisa.”

“Right. Mrs. Evans.”

“One of these days, Sebastian Stan, you are going to call me Lisa.” She comes out of the bedroom with nothing in her hands, which honestly surprises Chris. “And on that day, I will both mock you mercilessly and rejoice.”

“Like mother, like son.” He cuts a quick glance to Chris. “You and Mr. Evans be okay if I drove Chris and Dodger back? Only got to see him a little bit while he was here, and there are still a bunch of press tour stories I haven’t told him.”

She looks at Chris, and he knows she’s offering him an out. He’s tempted. So tempted to take her up on it. He gives her a tiny shake of his head and she smiles at Sebastian. There’s no doubt Sebastian sees it. Of course, Sebastian -- along with the rest of the world -- knows that Chris told his mother about losing his virginity. 

“Nah. I have to hear what shit he and Mackie got up to now that they’ve got a new best friend in Winston.”

“We still love you, honeybunch.”

“Yeah. Feeling the love.” Chris smirks and his mom coughs. Both Sebastian and Chris look at her, but only Sebastian smiles. His mom knows too many of his secrets and fears for Chris to manage one. “You want another beer, Ma?”

“Think I’m good, honey.” She glances around the apartment, then picks up her purse. “Think I’ll go stop your dad from playing duffel tetris and get us on the road.” She goes over and tugs Sebastian down for a kiss on the cheek then does the same to Chris, whispering to him that she loves him and to be careful. “Though I think we’re gonna take Dodger with us. Give us an excuse to get out of the car and stretch these old bones.”

“You’re not old.” He and Sebastian both say at the same time. Sebastian grins wide. “Vintage.”

“Charmer.” She picks up the end of Dodger’s leash and whistles at him. “C’mon Dodger. Go for a ride?”

Dodger practically pulls her out of the apartment and she laughs. Chris is suddenly paralyzed. “I should...Um. Key. Get the key to the agency.” He glances around, ostensibly to look for something he’s forgotten, but really because he doesn't want to meet Sebastian’s eyes. He finally settles on the pizza boxes, grabbing them and the beer. “I guess this is the last of it. So we should. Yeah.”

“Yeah.” Sebastian takes the beer and Chris turns off the last of the lights, shutting and locking the door behind them. They’re quiet in the ride down the elevator, and Chris stops to give a tip to the doorman, as well as envelopes for the other three he’s met. He follows Sebastian outside, and they walk down the sidewalk to where Sebastian has miraculously found a parking spot. Even though it’s a more swanky part of New York, there are still homeless, and Chris gives a huddled group of them what’s left of their pizza. 

They’re still quiet once they’re in the car, Chris pulling up the agency’s address on his phone so he can direct Sebastian to the office to drop off the keys. Once that’s done, Sebastian plugs Chris’s address into his map app and works their slow way out of New York City.

Chris picks at the hole in his jeans where the joint had landed, rubbing his finger over it. He realizes he has no idea what happened to it. 

“Your mom cleaned it up.” Chris looks up and Sebastian nods to Chris’s thigh. “The joint. The mess. Washed the plate we were using.”

“Oh.” He looks down and frowns at the hole, rubbing it again, focusing on the feel of it, trying to get his brain to disengage, to stop spinning worst-case scenarios and horror-movie endings. Maybe he needs to act in more rom-coms.

“Are you okay?”

“What? Me?” His head snaps back up and he turns his surprised gaze on Sebastian. “Yeah. Of course.”

“You don’t seem okay.”

“I’m okay.”

“You seem like you’re kind of freaking out. Freaked out. By what happened.”

“No. No. I mean, I didn’t. You know. Expect it.”

“But you wanted it, right?”

Chris blinks repeatedly, staring as Sebastian glances at him out of the corner of his eye. Finally he nods, swallowing hard. “Yeah.”

“We weren’t quite sober.”

“Did you not?”

“Not what?” Sebastian glances at him quickly again before turning his eyes back to the road.

“Want it.”

“Did it _feel_ like I didn’t want it?”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

“Not sure there’s another interpretation to that question.” Sebastian drums his thumbs on the steering wheel. “Phrase. Implication. Whatever. Pretty sure that the fact that I was so fucking hard for you made it clear that I wanted it. You.”

Chris nods, not sure what to say.

“So, did it take until your parents showed up for you to start freaking out, or were you freaking out before then?”

“I didn’t think you liked… Guys.” The unspoken “me” hangs in the air between them.

“Have you _met_ me?”

“I mean, we never talked about it. Guys. You and guys. We’ve had a lot of sex talks. And I’m pretty sure I was never drunk enough that I missed out on you talking about guys.”

“What about you? Pretty sure you never mentioned it either.”

“Because it was you.” Chris snaps his mouth closed as soon as the words are out, holding his breath as he hears Sebastian let one out. “I figured you’d ask. Who. You know. Not everybody believes that you can be bisexual if you’ve only had sex with one gender. Whatever that means.”

“Well, you did say you’d fuck Hemsworth.”

“ _Everyone_ would fuck Hemsworth.”

Sebastian tilts his head. “Point.”

Chris fidgets in his seat, finger rubbing harder over the hole in his jeans. Sebastian reaches over and puts his hand on Chris’s. Chris stares at their hands as he moves his. Slowly turning it over and letting Sebastian’s fingers fall between his. 

Sebastian lets out another breath, this one sounding almost relieved. He squeezes Chris’s hand. Chris can’t stop looking at them, his pale fingers against Sebastian’s slightly darker skin. “I’ve never really done that. I mean, there’s been drunken fumbling. I am a frat boy dudebro, right?” He laughs, a hittle higher-pitched than normal. “But like that. On purpose.”

“You did really well. Academy-Award level performance.”

“Dick.”

“Yes. It was intimately involved. An excellent co-star. A real blowout performance.”

Chris groans. “Really?”

“Oh, c’mon. Like you weren’t thinking it.”

“I really, really wasn’t.” Chris’s mouth quirks up in a smile and he actually looks at Sebastian. He bites his lower lip and rakes his teeth over it, watching as Sebastian’s gaze drops from Chris’s eyes to his mouth. 

Sebastian squeezes his hand hard. “You need to stop that right now.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not going to blow you on the side of the road.” He lets go of Chris’s hand and puts it on the steering wheel along with the other. “Not for the first time.”

“So eventually?” Chris grins, then frowns. “I’ve had a blow job before.”

Sebastian fights a grin of his own. “Not from me.”

“So where are you going to give me a blow job for the first time?”

“Well, if you behave yourself for the next three hours, I’m thinking in your bed.”

“Oh. Well.” Chris swallows and grins down at his knees. “Who knew. Sometimes you do have good ideas.”

“I kissed you first.”

“Two good ideas in one day. That might be a record.”

“And suggested I drive you home.”

“Careful, Seb. Not good to get cocky.”

“Ha.” Sebastian snorts. “Bet you’re not saying that once I get you home.”

**Author's Note:**

> Rebloggable on tumblr [here](http://romanticalgirl.tumblr.com/post/176007022354/fic-standing-ovation)


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